How to create list of email addresses from Outlook 2003 distribution list?

VBA procedure to retrieve email addresses for each member in the distribution group name passed.
OM Gang


Public Sub GetDistGroupAddys()
On Error GoTo Err_GetDistGroupAddys

    Dim olNS As NameSpace
    Dim olContactFolder As Folder
    Dim olDistListItem As DistListItem
    Dim olContactItem As ContactItem
    Dim olItems As Outlook.Items
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim strListName As String
   
        'prompt for distribution list name
    strListName = InputBox("Enter distribution list name")
    If strListName = "" Then GoTo Exit_GetDistGroupAddys
   
    Set olNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set olContactFolder = olNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts)
    Set olItems = olContactFolder.Items.Restrict("[MessageClass]='IPM.DistList'")
   
    For Each olDistListItem In olItems
        'Debug.Print olDistListItem.DLName
        If olDistListItem.DLName = strListName Then
            For i = 1 To olDistListItem.MemberCount
                Debug.Print olDistListItem.GetMember(i).Address
            Next i
        End If
    Next

Exit_GetDistGroupAddys:
    Set olDistListItem = Nothing
    Set olItems = Nothing
    Set olContactFolder = Nothing
    Set olNS = Nothing
    Exit Sub

Err_GetDistGroupAddys:
    MsgBox Err.Number & ", " & Err.Description, , "Error in Sub GetDistGroupAddys of VBA Document ThisOutlookSession"
    Resume Exit_GetDistGroupAddys
   
End Sub

I got an error when I ran the macro.
Did I forget something?
I am not familiar with macros and just pasted it into the macro editor.

Thanks,
Alex
 

Let me give it a shot in 2003.  I was using 2007 when I wrote it.
OM Gang

For Outlook 2003 change to

Dim olContactFolder As MAPIFolder

OM Gang

I made the change.

Where should I be when I run the macro?
I tried it while in Contacts, ran the macro. Didn't get any results.
I then tried it while in an Email, ran the macro. Same thing.

The results are being printed to the Immediate Window in the VBE.  While in the VBE, select Immediate Window from the View menu.
The next step is to determine how/where you want the results.  Then you can modify the procedure to direct the output accordingly.
OM Gang

I am not familiar with macros so I don't know how to modify the procedure.
I just need a list of the emails that are in the distribution list.

I looked at the Immediate Window and I just see the name of the distribution list not the names of the people in the list.
ImmediateWindow.gif

Alex972, is your distribution list populated with individual recipients or made up of other distribution lists?
OM Gang

individual recipients

Is there a scroll bar in the Immdiate Window?  Are you seeing the full output?  How many addresses are you expecting?  When I run the procedure in Outlook 2003 I get a full list of email addresses for each person in the distribution list.
OM Gang

How are you calling/running the procedure?  In Outlook 2003 you can select Customize from the Tools menu and then click the New... button on the Toolbars tab to create a new toolbar.  Once the new toolbar is displayed next to your dialogue box you can drag it up to your menu bar area.  Next, in the Customize dialogue box, select the Commands tab then select Macros from the Categories pane on the left.  In the right pane you should see the new procedure displayed as something like Project1.GetDistGroupAddys.  Drag that macro and drop it on your new toolbar.  Now you can run it at any time.  You should be prompted for the name of the distribution group.
OM Gang

Is there a scroll bar in the Immediate Window?  
No

Are you seeing the full output?  
No, just getting the distribution list name.

How many addresses are you expecting?
about 20

 When I run the procedure in Outlook 2003 I get a full list of email addresses for each person in the distribution list.
Could there be a restriction on running the macro?
I haven't received any error messages.

<Could there be a restriction on running the macro?>
No, not if you're getting any output to the Immediate Window.  Macros are enabled.  Please verify that your procedure looks exactly like what I have below.  Note that the first Debug statement is commented out and that statement DOES print the distribution list name to the Immediate Window IF the statement is uncommented.

Also, try adding
Debug.Print olDistListItem.MemberCount
immediately after this conditional statement
If olDistListItem.DLName = strListName Then

OM Gang


Public Sub GetDistGroupAddys()
On Error GoTo Err_GetDistGroupAddys

    Dim olNS As NameSpace
    Dim olContactFolder As MAPIFolder
    Dim olDistListItem As DistListItem
    Dim olContactItem As ContactItem
    Dim olItems As Outlook.Items
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim strListName As String
   
        'prompt for distribution list name
    strListName = InputBox("Enter distribution list name")
    If strListName = "" Then GoTo Exit_GetDistGroupAddys
   
    Set olNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set olContactFolder = olNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts)
    Set olItems = olContactFolder.Items.Restrict("[MessageClass]='IPM.DistList'")
   
    For Each olDistListItem In olItems
        'Debug.Print olDistListItem.DLName  
        If olDistListItem.DLName = strListName Then
            For i = 1 To olDistListItem.MemberCount
                Debug.Print olDistListItem.GetMember(i).Address
            Next i
        End If
    Next

Exit_GetDistGroupAddys:
    Set olDistListItem = Nothing
    Set olItems = Nothing
    Set olContactFolder = Nothing
    Set olNS = Nothing
    Exit Sub

Err_GetDistGroupAddys:
    MsgBox Err.Number & ", " & Err.Description, , "Error in Sub GetDistGroupAddys of VBA Document ThisOutlookSession"
    Resume Exit_GetDistGroupAddys
   
End Sub

I put the Debug.print into the place and I got:
1
and the distribution list name.

I have take care of some other stuff this afternoon, but I should be back Friday AM.
It is now Thursday afternoon 2:30.

Thanks for all your work.

I will be happy to give you the points.

Alex972, is the distribution group in your Contacts folder or is it in the Global Address Book?
We'll get this figured out tomorrow.
OM Gang

I copied it from the Global Address Book into my contacts.

Thanks!

I'm back. Let's assume it is in the Global Address Book.
The one I am currently working with is in my contacts, but it is also in the global list.
In the future, I would only be working with ones from the Global Address Book.

Thanks for your patience.

The procedure I provided is for a local distribution group in your Contacts folder.  It will not work for distribution groups in the GAL.  A little curious as to why you are not getting results if the distribution group is in your Contacts but we need to change focus to something that will work for what you want.
I'll be back.  (did I sound like the Terminator?)
OM Gang

I was stunned by the similarity. Will be gone for a couple of hours.

Sorry, but this is getting way too technical for what I need. I will give you the points, but I will keep looking for something simpler.

I am really looking for a much simpler method since I am not familiar with macros and VBA and I am only going to do this for one distribution list.

Alex972, the last code I posted is a vbs script not a VBA routine or Outlook macro.  Copy the script into notepad.  Save the file to your c:\temp directory and name is something like GetListMembers.vbs (not .txt).  All you need to do is change the AD path to the distribution group.  Simply double-click on the .vbs file and it will create a semicolon delimited text file of the email addresses for each member and save the list as GroupMembers.txt in the C:\temp directory.
OM Gang

Thanks